India’s Paralympic contingent continued to make waves at the Paris Games on Sunday, with a mix of triumphs and setbacks. Preethi Pal etched her name in history by becoming the first Indian woman to win two medals in a single Paralympics, while Nishad Kumar secured his second successive silver in the men’s high jump T47 category.
Preethi, a 23-year-old farmer’s daughter from Uttar Pradesh, secured her second bronze medal in the 200m T35 category with a personal best time of 30.01 seconds. This followed her bronze in the 100m T35 category on Friday, making her only the second Indian woman to achieve this feat after Avani Lekhara’s gold and bronze in Tokyo three years ago. The T35 classification is for athletes with coordination impairments like hypertonia, ataxia, and athetosis.
Nishad, 24, cleared 2.04 meters to win India’s third para-athletics medal and seventh overall. He faced stiff competition from world record holder and champion Townsend Roderick of the USA, who won gold with 2.12 meters. Margiev Georgii, representing Neutral Paralympic Athlete, secured the bronze medal with a jump of 2 meters. Ram Pal, another Indian competitor, finished seventh with a personal best of 1.95 meters. The T47 category encompasses athletes with below elbow or wrist amputation or impairment.
On the badminton court, India’s shuttlers guaranteed themselves multiple medals. Suhas Yathiraj, the Tokyo Games silver medalist, secured his place in the men’s singles SL4 final for a second consecutive time. He displayed remarkable skill, defeating teammate Sukant Kadam 21-17, 21-12 in straight games. The 41-year-old IAS officer, Suhas, will now aim for his second consecutive gold at the Paralympics.
Nitesh Kumar also secured a medal by defeating Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara 21-16, 21-12 in the SL3 semifinal. In the women’s singles SU5 semifinal, Thulasimathi Murugesan triumphed over compatriot Manisha Ramadass 23-21, 21-17, ensuring India another silver medal at the very least. Manisha will now compete for the bronze.
However, there were disappointments in the badminton competition. Mandeep Kaur was eliminated in the SL3 quarterfinals after losing to Nigeria’s third seed Bolaji Mariam Eniola. In the SL4 category, Palak Kohli, the para world championship bronze medalist, suffered a 19-21, 15-21 loss to Indonesia’s Khalimatus Sadiyah.
In the shooting events, India had a disappointing day with Avani Lekhara and Sidhartha Babu failing to qualify for the finals. Avani, the reigning gold medalist in the 10m air rifle standing SH1 event, finished 11th in the mixed 10m air rifle prone (SH1) qualification with a total score of 632.8. Sidhartha Babu finished 28th.
Devaraddi, competing in the SH2 category, scored a total of 630.2 points but also failed to secure a place in the finals.
While India’s Paralympic athletes have showcased their talent and determination, the day was a mixed bag of triumphs and setbacks, setting the stage for more exciting competitions in the days to come.
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